Page 75 - Reflections on St. Joseph

We can imagine how Jesus learned from his parents his first Aramaic words: imma (“mama”)
and abba (“daddy”). He must have recognized in the faces of Joseph and Mary the meaning of
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these words . More importantly, it was from Joseph that he learned the meaning of “Abba."
Through Joseph, a positive image of fatherhood must have been etched on the memories of
Jesus. Perhaps, he would not have taught to call God, “Abba”, if he did not experience the
kindness and tenderness of His Abba Joseph. For Jesus, the icon of his Abba in heaven is no other
than His Abba Joseph on earth. In highlighting the kindness of God, the Father in heaven, which
is much more than that of a kind father who would not give his son a snake if he asks for a fish,
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Jesus must have remembered his earthly father, Joseph . The kindness and tenderness which
Joseph has lavished on Jesus must have led Him to discover the infinite goodness and
tenderness of God the Father in heaven. Moreover, Jesus himself shows tenderness and love
towards little children. Could this be a reflection of the tenderness that His Abba Joseph
showered on Him during His childhood ?
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The gospels also tell us that people are astonished at his wisdom and deep knowledge of the
scriptures. Adding to their amazement is the fact that they knew that he never went to any
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school . In the synagogue at Nazareth, his townspeople could not believe what they have seen
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and heard because they took it against Him for being a carpenter's son . We can look at the
people’s comments as a compliment on Joseph rather than an insult. It does not only confirm
that Jesus learned from him the carpenter's trade but also the first rubrics of the Torah, which
he had become a master. Being mainly responsible for the religious formation of his son, Joseph
must have taught Jesus his first lessons in Hebrew the language as well as the books of the Torah
and the prophets. He must have taught Jesus the “Shema” , the first prayer that any Jew should
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learn. We can imagine that it was Joseph who drilled the words and meaning of the “Shema” in
his memory when He was still a young boy.

Hence, we can also reasonably say that the answer Jesus gave to the scribe who asked him about
the greatest commandment was the memory of the “Shema” which he learned from Joseph.
Indeed, it is paradoxical to imagine Joseph
teaching the meaning of the "Shema," the love
of God to Jesus, who is himself the face of
God’s love . How did he teach Jesus the
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primacy of God's love in one's life? Indeed, not
only through words but in the most eloquent
way through his actions. In their yearly
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pilgrimage to Jerusalem during the Passover
or in their weekly visit to the synagogue, Jesus
must have seen how important those
moments are for Joseph. He must have seen
Joseph and Mary listening attentively to God’s
word and, together, singing the psalms and
praising God. He must have seen them how
they treated their neighbors well and even
strangers. He must have seen in his parents
the perfect example of what it means to love
God and neighbor.

Reflections on st. joseph 51